Behind Golden Walls: Book I
by Boricua1102
Summary: The God of Mischief once again finds himself on Earth, but not by choice. Weak and near death, does he seek redemption or revenge? Can he accept mortal help or will his pride be his demise? Rated M for future chapters. Occurs approximately 5 months after Thor: The Dark World. Contains OC.


**Hi Everyone! This is my first fan fiction to be published. I hope you enjoy it and please review :)! I am going to try to be consistent in my updates. Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Marvel except for my original character.**

* * *

_** Prologue**_

"Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible - it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could."

-Barbara de Angelis

_Andalusia_.

The Realm Eternal: Asgard; the home of the Norse gods and goddesses with the golden palace of the royal family as its centerpiece. Made almost entirely of the finest gold, its sacred hallways and passages gleamed with opulence and millennia of dominance. The beauty of the palace awes any, and all, who feast their eyes on its architecture. This truly was the home of divinity.

_Do not cry…_

Nothing contrasts more with this allure than the mournful sounds of chains and shackles scraping against the polished floor. With armor-clad guards on both flanks holding enchanted chains, the God of Mischief was being escorted to the throne room. He was to face trial once again for his crimes. The last time he was walking these halls was after the incident involving Malekith and the Dark Elves, and the death of his mother, Frigga… It was hard for him to believe that it had been almost a year and a half since that time.

_My darling, how I ache for you._

The fallen prince didn't look up as he was led to the All-Father. His gaze was fixed to the floor, taking notice of nothing. He was too lost in his own melancholic and chaotic world to notice any of his surroundings. He didn't struggle or utter any snarky comments to the guards that he would have done. He couldn't. He had no strength to retaliate…and he didn't want to. There was no point. He knew what laid ahead for him- he knew these would be his last hours of life. Hel was waiting for him; he was resigned to his fate. Loki was nothing more than a mere ghost of the man he once was.

_How I yearn for your touch_…

Odin, King of Asgard and Protector of the Nine Realms, sat on his golden throne with a look of cold determination and indifference. His staff, Gungnir, was in hand and gleaming. His white hair and wrinkles did not betray his immense strength and wisdom. On the surface he appeared as every bit a regal and composed king, but deep down he was in agony. He was about to face his son, Loki, for a second time to decide his fate, a decision he never wished he had to make.

"The guards are here, father," said the God of Thunder with a solemn look, "with the…_prisoner_." Fully armored, with Mjornil gripped in hand, Thor stood by his father's side. The Mighty Thor was looking the most un-mightiest the All-Father had seen his son, aside from when Frigga was killed.

"Very well." Odin's gaze fell on the large golden doors and inwardly braced himself for what was to come. "Let them enter."

_Are you thinking of me, my love?_

The doors opened and in marched the guards with chains in their hands. They stopped in front of the steps leading up to Odin's throne and moved aside to reveal the prisoner.

Loki looked disheveled and unkempt as if he hadn't slept for days. His bloodshot eyes focused on nothing and his once creamy, pale skin was ghastly white, almost sickly. The once handsome prince was like a walking corpse. His ebony hair was tousled and fell in front of his face. He was wearing Midgardian clothes: black leather shoes, dark pants, and a light blue button down shirt. Loki was a sight to behold. Aside from his rather unusual appearance, there was something even more peculiar about the prince. It was the way he carried himself. It was a look Odin was quite familiar with. He himself once had that look and he could see Thor with that exact same look. Loki, the God of Lies and Mischief, was in love and desperately so. Loki raised his head up to Odin, barely glancing at Thor.

"Loki Laufeyson, you are brought here once again to face judgment for your crimes against Asgard and the throne. You are also here to answer for the innocent lives you have taken on account of your treachery." Odin's voice reverberated against the walls of the hall.

Loki didn't react or even respond. It was as if he never heard him.

"You are charged with the crimes of attempted killing of the king, seizing the throne unlawfully, impersonating the king, conspiracy, attempted genocide of Jotunheim and the attempted domination of Midgard, and for the lives you have taken." As he went down the list of crimes, Odin's voice grew stronger and more enraged.

All the while Loki barely moved. His gazed was fixed up at his father, but he wasn't looking at him— he was looking through him into a world he longed to be in: where he was back in her arms, her cool, green eyes twinkling at him, her beautiful smile…that smile that melted his heart—where he was home. Truly _home_. But that life was worlds away. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on her voice.

_Do not forget me, my love. _

Odin's voice broke his thoughts once more. "The crimes you have commited are heinous and unforgiveable. You have dishonored the house of Odin. You are not worthy of living. Frigga is here no more, and neither is any mercy."

Thor never felt so conflicted. Loki was his brother, but at the same time he had committed too many terrible crimes to be forgiven. He could barely stomach to see his brother so…_broken_. When Loki first came to face judgment, he was unremorseful and full of his witty fire and smugness. But now…he was a broken man about to face the hands of death. Thor knew how much his brother had changed and wished his father could see it so that maybe—just maybe—his life might be spared. But silent Thor kept in respect for his father.

"What have you to say for your actions, Loki Laufeyson?" asked Odin, his voice leveled. "Speak."

Loki simply stared at Odin. So many things to say…so many. For all his skills as the Silvertongue, he could not seem to find the right words. He hated his father. There was no changing that. There was no forgiveness that Loki extended for what Odin had done. He was not sorry for what he did to his father, but he was repentant for the blood he spilt by his own hands. He had killed many times before in his past battles and adventures, but the faceless victims of his onslaught during the Battle of New York had imprinted on his heart. There was no going back for him. His shame would be a burden he would carry to remind him of how easy life can be taken away.

When the silence seemed to continue without end, Thor stepped over to Loki and gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Brother, please speak. Tell him how much you have changed!"

Loki slowly turned to Thor, his eyes tired, and cocked his head. Ever loyal and foolish was Thor, still not able to understand. Thor gave him a pleading look, but Loki would not budge.

"Remove your hand from the criminal!" Odin's voice boomed. "He is to face his punishment alone."

"But , father—"

"That is an order!"

Defeated, Thor released his brother and returned to his original position by his father, his head hanging low. Loki looked back at Odin and cleared his throat.

"There is nothing that I can say that can redeem me or my actions." Loki's voice quivered, full of emotion- uncharacteristic of the trickster god. Choosing his words carefully, he continued. "I have committed many a wrong. I have brought shame not only to myself, but to Asgard. For everything that I have done…I am truly sorry."

At that point, pride meant nothing. He wanted Odin to see how repentant he was. He wanted to set things right to some degree, even though he knew he was to die. "All-Father…I know that regardless of what I say, my fate is sealed. Do as you will with me, for I am nothing now." Loki shrunk to the floor on his knees, the chains clinking as he did.

Odin remained outwardly indifferent, but deep down he wanted nothing more than to forgive him and forget the whole affair. Thor looked almost in tears himself. It took everything in him not to run to his brother's side.

"Are those your final words?" asked Odin with all seriousness.

Loki narrowed his eyes at Odin and pondered on how to phrase his next sentences to be most…_effective_. With one of his infamous smirks, the trickster god locked eyes with Odin and spoke with utter smugness. "As sincerely apologetic I am for the actions I took; there is one thing that I am not sorry for…"

"And what is that, pray tell?" Odin asked with a raised eyebrow. Some of the trickster god's old "charm" had returned.

Loki puffed his chest and spoke, "I am not penitent for the actions I took against your person." Odin tightened his eyes down at the prisoner, but said nothing. "If these are to be my final words, then allow me to express my utmost rancor for you. You are not my father nor were you ever; for no true father would have done what you have."

Loki suddenly stood and closed his eyes. Everyone in the hall stiffened with caution as to what the master sorcerer was about to do. Very slowly a wave of blue began creeping and spreading all over his body. Intricate tribal markings appeared on his skin as the floor and air around his body began to freeze. He then opened his eyes to reveal glowing red eyes that sparked with fierce grit. Thor was utterly aghast; he had never seen Loki's "true form." Yes, he had seen and battled many Frost Giants in his time, but to see his own brother in that form was quite unnerving.

"Look at me! This who I truly am: I am Loki Laufeyson of Jotunheim!" Every word spoken from his azure lips came out with a blow of cooled air. "I have embraced this current form where all of Asgard, and even you, have scorned at it believing it to be inferior. I am not inferior nor am I the lesser prince. The bond between us, _Father_, has been severed indefinitely; there is no mending it."

"Loki—" Thor began but was silenced by Odin's hand being raised.

"However," continued Loki as if he were never interrupted, "I am grateful to you for one thing…"

"Oh?" asked Odin with a curious look.

"If it was not for you and all the lies I was fed, I would have never discovered what I really was. And from that I would have never made the mistakes I made that led me to find _peace_." Loki's demeanor took on a softer look as he swallowed. "This..._thing_ that we call a family is _not_ what a true family is. I have learned what it means to be part of a family… And I have a family back home_, _my _true home_. Whether I live or die, it matters not because there is nothing with all your glory and might, Oh great and powerful Odin All-Father, that can take it from me!"

With a flick of his wrist his Asgardian form returned. The throne room was silent. All eyes were on the prisoner as he glared up at the King.

_We will meet again. Whether in this life or the next. _

With a huff and slight struggle, Odin rose from his seat and made his way down the stairs. Everyone in the hall stiffened at his approach. He stopped in front of Loki and looked with quiet observation. There they stayed for what felt like hours, just staring at each other. Odin was trying to peer into his son's heart while Loki was trying to find any hint of... _anything_. Odin's face was blank, not revealing a single thought.

Finally, Odin broke the silence. "What has happened to you to cause you to be as you are now? What has caused this change I see?" Odin saw it. He saw the change in his son. No longer was he a monster incapable of love, but a man so full of it, it was brimming from his very soul. He needed to see what had changed Loki. What happened to him on Earth? "Bring the prisoner to the Interrogation Chamber," Odin announced suddenly. The guards pulled Loki to his feet and shoved him forwards.

Thor approached his father. "Why are we taking him to the Interrogation Chamber? I thought he was to be put to death?" Thor's voice showed too much hopefulness than he wanted to, but showed it none the less. Odin turned to him and gave him a face that meant for Thor not to question him.

"Only I will be in the room with him." Odin turned his back on Thor and made his way out of the throne room. He threw a quick glance back at his confused son and said, "There is something I need to see." Without another word, Odin was gone, leaving Thor standing alone to wander in his own thoughts.

_Do not forget me. _

The Interrogation Chamber was bare save for a stone couch. Loki had been in this room many times to interrogate prisoners and spies. But now he was the prisoner. He knew what came next and cringed. He was laid down on the couch. Each of the guards brought their chains to the floor around the couch and locked them into the hooks that appeared. They were placed there in case the prisoner tried to escape or attempt to kill the interrogator. Once Loki was secured in place, the guards left him there alone.

The room was dark except for the few torches that were lit. The only direction Loki could face was upward. Staring down at him was a machine used to inflict countless and imaginable tortures. As Loki stared at the immense machine, his mind raced with thoughts of Andalusia. He tried to focus on her: the soft contours of her lips; the way her hair would fall into her face; the way her eyes squinted when she smiled; her voice whispering his name in the twilight hours of the night…

_Andalusia…_

Odin suddenly walked into the room and stood next to his son. "We will now begin the interrogation. You know how this machine operates since you have employed it many times yourself."

Loki said nothing, but kept his mind focused on his beloved's voice. Odin pushed and pulled nobs turning the machine on and setting the settings. The machine hummed as it came to life. A bright light emerged from the center of it, blinding Loki momentarily. There was no point in asking why Odin was doing this. To take his hatred out on him? To see him in the same pain as he was in? Or simply out of spite? Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. Nothing could hurt him anymore. Not Odin, not S.H.I.E.L.D., not even Thanos…

"In light of what you have done, I find myself wanting to see the source of your 'transformation'. This is a necessary step that needs to be taken." Odin peered down at Loki with that ever present blank expression.

"I understand. Do what you have to." Loki gave Odin a tired looked, wishing this would be over with and done. Odin gave his son one last look before pressing a button to commence the session. The machine moved downward aiming for his head. Closer and closer it came. Loki held his breath and closed his eyes. He braced himself for the sharp pain, but when the machine stopped descending, the pain never came. Instead, a poking and probing force entered his mind in a flash of white light. It was rummaging through his mind and his memories.

He clutched onto the chains as all his memories whizzed past his mind. Memories of Frigga telling him old Asgardian folk tales as a child before he went to bed, him and Thor chasing each other around the courtyard playing tag, holding Odin's hand as they walked down those familiar halls—they all hit him at once in a overwhelming wave of nostalgia. Suddenly there was nothing. The memories stop flying. A single image that nearly sent him reeling—it was her. She was beaming and beckoning him to come to her. He smiled and tried to reach out for her, but found himself unable to move. Slowly, the image of her began to fade…

"Andalusia! Wait!"

_Andalusia, wait for me…_

Then everything turned white.


End file.
